Opening Night 2010 - Let The Play Begin!

When I think of the term “Opening Night”, my first thoughts are theatrical ones. From recalling the excitement of the first play I saw on New York’s famed Broadway (yes, something positive about New York), to an amazing Tony-award-winning extravaganza at the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles, to the historic long-running classic in London’s West End. Theatre comes in all varieties – a one-person play, musical, comedy. And the most intense and tension ridden type of all – Drama. However, “Opening Night” has another meaning for the fans of a sport known as baseball. And it is in that context that the term is being used here. Tonight’s drama is being presented by Major League Baseball as the first of many such theatrical programs that will be brought to the viewing public over the 2010 season. Tonight’s play is titled “The Rivals”, but unlike Sheridan’s play of the same name, it is not a comedy of manners but rather a drama of maneuvers. Most theatrical offerings are scripted, but this one will be written over the course of the evening. So a night of dramatic (instead of comedic) improv is staged and let’s hope tragedy is not the result. And we all know what that tragedy would be. The usual theatre parlance to wish someone luck in his performance is to say “break a leg”. Therefore, Red Sox, “break many legs”!

“The Rivals”, an improv of dramatic proportions in three acts
Act I – Innings one through three – Becoming Reacquainted
Act II – Innings four through six – Direction Established
Act III – Innings seven through nine – Final Dénouement

Producer – Major League Baseball
Co-Directors – Terry Franconia for the “Righteous” Red Sox and Joe Girardi for the “Yucky” Yankees
Setting – Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts
Time – 8:05 p.m. local time, Sunday 4 April 2010
Duration – Between two and a half and five hours, with two brief intermissions

Cast of Characters:
“Righteous” Red Sox: Jacoby “Stealer” Ellsbury, LF; Dustin “Power” Pedroia, 2B; Victor “VMart” Martinez, C; Kevin “Youuuk” Youkilis, 1B; David “Big Papi” Ortiz, DH; Adrian “Able” Beltre, 3B; J. D. “Just Droit” Drew, RF; Mike “MC” Cameron, CF; Marco “Scoop” Scutaro, SS; Josh “Beck” Beckett, P

“Yucky” Yankees: Derek “Derelict” Jeter, SS; Nick “No Hit” Johnson, DH; Mark “Miss” Teixeira, 1B; Alex “A Lack” Rodriguez, 3B; Robinson “Can’t” Cano, 2B; Jorge “Horror” Posada, C; Curtis “Pitiful” Granderson, CF; Nick “Wishy-Washy” Swisher, RF; Brett “Weedy” Gardner, LF; C. C. “Controlless” Sabathia, P


Josh “Beck” Beckett” on the mound, Derek “Derelict” Jeter at the plate, first pitch thrown and so “The Rivals” begins again…

Images:
Left: Boston Red Sox logo from the website mlb.com
Center: Opening Night logo from the website boston.redsox.mlb.com

Right: New York Yankees logo from the website mlb.com